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Cleaning up pollution puts people first

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Monday September 1, 2014 5:20 AM

I could not disagree more with the recent letter submitted by Ken Schilling, the chief executive
officer of Washington Electric Cooperative (“Carbon-dioxide regulations come at a cost,” Aug. 17).
He suggested that the Environmental Protection Agency is putting policy over people by developing
the Clean Power Plan, standards that will reduce carbon pollution from power plants.

This could not be further from the truth.

The proposed rules will benefit the health of individuals, families and communities across Ohio
and the nation. Once in place, the plan would prevent up to 4,000 premature deaths and 100,000
pediatric asthma attacks in the United States in the first year alone, thanks to reduced air
pollution. Ohio regularly carries the dubious distinction of being one of the worst polluters in
the country for power-plant emissions.

My daughter is 6 years old. She cannot go outside and play with her friends when there are
air-quality warnings. She shouldn’t miss healthy exercise and time with her friends because of air
pollution. That is why my family believes we must keep the Clean Air Act strong.

Carbon pollution produced by coal-fired power plants contributes to climate change and is one of
the greatest preventable threats to public health today. Cleaning up carbon emissions also reduces
other pollutants, creating an immediate, positive impact on public health, particularly for those
who suffer from chronic lung or cardiovascular disease.

By reducing pollution and investing in cleaner forms of energy, we will be putting people over
polluters.